Catfish Farmers Association of Nigeria has dispelled insinuations that fish is not safe, attributing the misinformation to the mischief. Mr Tayo Akingbolagun, former President of the Association said on Sunday that that the consumption of catfish is safe and healthy to the human body. He allayed the fears in some quarters that catfish was harmful to the body, and described it as handwork of some mischief makers.

Akingbolagun told the News Agency of Nigeria in Benin that some unpatriotic Nigerians had sponsored publications to say that catfish contained bad cholesterol and was not fit for human consumption. “For their information, the Food and Drug Administration of the United States of America recently confirmed that cholesterol is a non- issue in human health. America produces channel catfish, while China produces her own specie of catfish and these are consumed by their citizens. We therefore cannot understand the reason why some unpatriotic Nigerians decide to destroy their own product,” he said.

According to him, the association will soon make public research findings by renowned nutritionists to confirm that catfish is safe and healthy for human consumption. Akingbolagun, however, appealed to the Federal Government to reconsider the implementation of the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme, adding that it would ensure increased production of catfish. “The scheme encouraged new farmers and was a good catalyst for the aquaculture sub-sector. It should not be allowed to die prematurely,” he pleaded.

(NAN)